Boot Configuration Data Store Editor (BCDEdit) Options and switches

Boot Configuration Data Store Editor (BCDEdit) is the primary tool for editing the boot configuration of Windows 2008 Server. Boot Configuration Data Store Editor (BCDEdit) is a command-line tool for managing BCD stores. BCDEdit can be used creating new stores, modifying existing stores, adding boot menu parameters etc. The Boot Configuration Data Store Editor (BCDEdit) command is a powerful replacement for the BootCfg utilit, which was available with previous versions of Windows.

To get general help of BCDEdit from command-line, run BCDEdit with /? option.

 

Boot Configuration Data Store Editor (BCDEdit) options that operate on a store

Option	Description
/createstore	Creates a new empty boot configuration data store. The new store created is not a system store.
/export	Exports the contents of the system store into a file. This file can be used later to restore the state of the system store. This command is valid only for the system store.
/import	Restores the state of the system store by using a backup data file previously generated by using the /export option. This command deletes any existing entries in the system store before the import takes place. This command is valid only for the system store.
/store	/store option can be used to specify the store to be used. By default BCDEdit operates on the system store.

 

Boot Configuration Data Store Editor (BCDEdit) options that operate on entries in a store

 

Option	Description
/copy	Makes a copy of a specified boot entry in the same system store.
/create	Creates a new entry in the boot configuration data store. If a well-known identifier is specified, then the /application, /inherit, and /device options cannot be specified. If an identifier is not specified or not well known, an /application, /inherit, or /device option must be specified. To know about identifiers run "bcdedit /? ID" command in command-line with out double quotes.
/delete	Deletes an element from a specified entry.

 

Boot Configuration Data Store Editor (BCDEdit) options that operate on entry options

 

Option	Description
/deletevalue	Deletes a specified element from a boot entry.
/set	Sets an entry option value.

 

Boot Configuration Data Store Editor (BCDEdit) options that control output

 

Option	Description
/enum	Lists entries in a store. The /enum option is the default value for BCEdit.
/v	Verbose mode.

 

Boot Configuration Data Store Editor (BCDEdit) options that control the Boot Manager

 

Option	Description
/bootsequence	Specifies a one-time display order to be used for the next boot. This command is similar to the /displayorder option, except that it is used only the next time the computer starts. Afterwards, the computer reverts to the original display order.
/default	Specifies the default entry that the boot manager selects when the timeout expires.
/displayorder	Specifies the display order that the boot manager uses when displaying boot options to a user.
/timeout	Specifies the time to wait, in seconds, before the boot manager selects the default entry.
/toolsdisplayorder	Specifies the display order for the boot manager to use when displaying the Tools menu.

 

Boot Configuration Data Store Editor (BCDEdit) options that control Emergency Management Services

 

Option	Description
/bootems	Enables or disables Emergency Management Services (EMS) for the specified entry.
/ems	Enables or disables EMS for the specified operating system boot entry.
/emssettings	Sets the global EMS settings for the computer.

 

Boot Configuration Data Store Editor (BCDEdit) options that control debugging

 

Option	Description
/bootdebug	Enables or disables the boot debugger for a specified boot entry.
/dbgsettings	Specifies or displays the global debugger settings for the system.
/debug	Enables or disables the kernel debugger for a specified boot entry.